Demigods in College--Percy and Annabeth go to Mizzou
by Morgan Caspers
Summary: After defeating Gaea, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase decide to spend a year studying at Mizzou. They consider leaving until they learn that the God of Tartarus followed them out of the Underworld and took over a human's body. They must now identify the captive person and expel the God's spirit. Takes place after the Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series.
1. Chapter 1

When Percy Jackson woke up, he understood what it meant to be hung-over.

There had been no time for partying at Camp Half-Blood. In the midst of honing his powers and fighting on behalf of Roman and Greek gods, he hadn't had so much as a sip of beer.

But after he and Annabeth had promised themselves at least one year of college normalcy, he'd wanted to know what it was like to lose his inhibitions.

So here he was. Having fallen from his drunken high, his head pounded as last night's music pulsed in his ears.

He remembered when he and Annabeth had dragged themselves from the depths of Tartarus. He remembered how his body had felt-weighed down, beaten up, and dying slowly.

This was almost as bad.

He glanced across the room to make sure his roommate Trevor was still asleep. Sure enough Trevor lay snoring, a line of drool dripping onto his pillow.

Percy dug a shoe box from under his bed. He removed the box's lid and tossed it aside. He tore through layers of paper and withdrew his savior: ambrosia. When he bit into it it melted in his mouth, its warmth spreading through his body.

Hopefully he wouldn't run out before his mom's next care package arrived.

Percy stretched and blinked a few times. The ambrosia was already working through his system. He didn't feel great, but the headache had subsided.

He threw on a Led-Zeppelin T-shirt and went to meet Annabeth in the dining hall. When he got outside he wished he'd brought a jacket. Frost had gathered on the ground, and cool air nipped at his ears. As he watched students laugh and huddle against each other, he remembered his old school days. What was it like for these people? How would his life have been without the dyslexia and the monsters?

When Percy opened the dining room doors, he knew why he'd agreed to this. He recalled Annabeth's California-girl face focused on random structures, dissecting how they were built and why they worked the way they did. She loved to planning battles yet she loved planning buildings. She needed this.

He stepped inside and loaded his plate with pancakes and tater tots. Holding a full tray, he scanned the room.

Even in his bleary state, his gaze sharpened when it landed on Annabeth. Her golden hair glowed under the fluorescent cafeteria lighting, and her eyes were like storms when she looked at him.

"Gods," she said when Percy sat down. "You look awful."

Percy Jackson hung his head. "I probably feel worse."

Annabeth smirked. "Then good luck on your stats test."

Even in college, Annabeth had managed to retain her warlike disposition. Her posture remained flawless as she nibbled her bacon, her eyes analyzing his features with sharp concentration.

Percy wolfed down his pancakes. Though they tasted fine, they lacked the fluffy blueness of his mother's.

Annabeth tucked a lock of grey hair behind her ear. She began staring into space again, and Percy could tell she had gone somewhere else.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked.

Annabeth sighed. "I kind of miss Camp."

Percy had known this would happen eventually. Annabeth had always longed for armor on her chest and a knife in her hand. She now toyed with a calculator, her Tiger sweatshirt hanging loosely off her body.

He took her hand. "We could go back if you want."

Annabeth shook her head. "I always wanted to be an architect."

Annabeth continued to be Annabeth. Weighing pros and cons and reflecting. Always reflecting...

"Well, if that's what you want," Percy said through a mouthful of tatertots, "Then that's what you should do."

His advice felt lame. Annabeth's mind wasn't that straight-forward.

Percy didn't mind college. In fact, he'd had a pretty good time. He liked the atmosphere, and he liked knowing what non-half-blood people experienced. He already knew Greek and Latin, so being a Classics major hadn't proven too difficult. Stats was challenging, but Annabeth's tutoring had so far prevented him from failing.

Percy glanced at the clock. 8:20. Damn these numbers...

"I gotta go." Percy said. "Test starts in ten minutes."

He stood up. He gathered his things but put them down again when Annabeth came to him. She pressed her body against his and kissed him deeply. He lost himself in her lips, his mind drifting to all the things he wished he could do to her.

She pulled away. "Good luck."

Percy floated to Statistics, a smile tugging at his lips. The figures and the numbers hadn't even begun to make sense, but he didn't care. He'd be here as long as Annabeth needed him. Besides, Riptide probably needed a break.


	2. Chapter 2

Annabeth's first class didn't start until noon, so she decided to hit the gym.

She put on her workout clothes. Though she had liked training in armor at camp, she enjoyed the feel of mortal fitness gear. Her outfit accentuated her toned body, and its light material made her movements swifter. Before she and Percy had gotten here, they had gone to the Nike store to pick things out. She had considered going to Lululemon, but had decided against it. Lululemon was for pussies.

She tied her hair in a tight ponytail as she made her way to the fitness center. Walking through campus, she remembered the rugged simplicity of Camp Half-Blood. She smiled at the orange T-shirts and the house tables. She remembered Chiron trotting about as Apollo's children shot arrows into the sunset.

Still, she couldn't help but appreciate Mizzou's light laugher and unfocused intellectuality.

Annabeth knew she'd have to leave it all behind eventually, but for now, she nodded at the guy holding the door for her.

"Thank you," she said.

"No problem," the guy answered. "Are you new here?"

Annabeth eyed him. He was good looking in a preppy sort of way, with well-kept blonde hair and mild blue eyes. He had a nice build-perhaps a bit stockier than Percy, and about an inch shorter.

He grinned impishly.

Instinctively, she reached for her dagger, only to remember that she no longer carried weapons.

 _Did you..Did you love me?_

"Yeah." she said.

She kept walking. The guy fell into step beside her.

"Do you need me to show you around?"

 _You were like a brother to me, Luke. But I didn't love you._

"Not really," Annabeth answered.

"Well, okay." the guy said. "I'm Tyler."

He held out his hand and smiled. His dimples almost made Annabeth feel bad for blowing him off. He looked like he was good at stealing things.

"Annabeth," she said.

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "That's a pretty name...I'll see you around."

 _I didn't love you._

"See you."

Annabeth surveyed the area. All of the equipment had yellow accents, and the machines looked sleek and new. No sandy beaches. No dirt spewing in her face.

Annabeth selected two fifty pound hand-weights to warm up with. As she began her bicep curls, she overheard a conversation on the next mat.

Two bulky guys, perhaps football players, bantered as one of them squatted hundreds of pounds. The squatter had horrible form. His range of motion as he descended was way too limited, and he had positioned his hands too narrowly on the bar.

"You squat like a girl!" The other one yelled.

Annabeth ignored them. Dickheads.

"Seriously, bro." he continued. "My girlfriend could do better than that."

Ignore, ignore, ignore.

The squatter stopped. "Fuck you, man. I can't think of one girl who could touch this."

Annabeth dropped her weight.

"Keep squatting like that, and they'll all be wiping the floor with you."

Annabeth had tried to take the high road, but listening to imbeciles arguing was like nails on a chalkboard.

"I'm sure there are plenty of girls who squat better than that." Annabeth said.

The guys stopped to look at her. Their eyes traveled from the tip of her head down. They landed on her breasts and stayed there.

"Yeah right." One of them said. "I doubt it."

Screw the high road. Time to kick some ass.

Annabeth marched over to them and waved them aside. If she had had sleeves, she would have rolled them up. The guys watched her with amusement as she added fifty pounds to what they had been squatting.

She planted her feet firmly on the ground. She held the bar with an immovable grip. She lowered her body with control, strength rushing through her muscles. She rose up with ease, lifted the bar above her head, and then dropped it. The weights thundered when they hit the ground.

She glanced at the guys. They stood frozen, bewilderment slackening their jaws.

Annabeth smirked and went back to her matt. As she continued her circuits Luke flashed into her mind again.

" _Excellent. Great form. That's the kind of aggression I like to see."_

Annabeth shook her head. What was wrong with her? She had barely thought about him after he'd died.

She climbed onto a treadmill. She increased the speed until she was sprinting, and within minutes the university gym had faded from view. She knew she was running from something.

In her mind she reached a beach. The sand stuck to her legs as her steps quickened. The closer she got to the water, the thicker and wetter the ground became. Soon she could feel the ocean rising past her knees. She dove in and swam beneath the surface. The water's murkiness prevented her from seeing. She swam longer, her strokes lengthening. The ocean soon became bluer and clearer and suddenly Percy was there waiting for her.

She reached him and held him close. He took her hand and led her to the surface.

Annabeth stopped running. She turned off the treadmill and grabbed her knees, panting as sweat dripped onto the floor. She wiped her eyes and left the gym.


	3. Chapter 3

Percy tried to pay attention, but his eyes kept drooping. He couldn't understand what was wrong with him. Sure, Advanced Latin was boring as fuck, but Percy's brain never made him sleepy. If anything, he was always keyed up, ready to slash at something or dive into an ocean. The energy that normally needed release had drained out of him.

Something pulled him down.

"As we translate this work," the teacher said, "We must consider its significance. Does anyone know why Juno was angry at Aeneis? Or was the translation so daunting that..."

 _Percy._

 _Percy._

 _Percy._

 _Percy opened his eyes. He now stood barefoot on a beach, his feet sinking into damp sand. The tide swayed back and forth, brushing his toes before drawing back again._

 _Percy._

 _Poseidon stood knee deep in the ocean, his hawaiian shirt fluttering in the wind. His sea-green eyes glowed as he came forward._

 _I need to tell you something._

 _Dad?_

 _Quiet. We don't have much time._

 _Percy nodded._

 _Hades sent me a warning. Tartarus is angry._

 _Tartarus? The place? How can a place be angry?_

 _Poseidon sighed. Tartarus isn't just a place. It's both a land an a deity. The deity is an unbound spirit. It can travel anywhere unnoticed, especially in its own territory. It followed you and Annabeth when you were walking its land. Apparently, it's angry that you escaped it._

 _Why?_

 _No one escapes Tartarus, Percy. Its existence rests on eternal doom and hopelessness._

 _Percy took that in. He shivered at the thought of a spirit following Annabeth and him without his knowledge. He remembered every fight, every tear that had been shed in the land of fear. Had Tartarus been watching it all?_

 _What does it want?_

 _It wants you. When it left the underworld, it told Hades of its plans. It's been watching you for months. Now is the perfect time for its revenge, when you're most vulnerable._

 _Percy nodded. He knew his life couldn't have been this easy. Simply going to college could never erase who he was. Who he was born to become._

 _How do we stop it?_

 _Poseidon shook his head. His eyes lost their sparkle as they saddened. We don't know. It's not a complete being. It doesn't have to take its own form, like me or the other Olympians. It can inhabit one person or multiple people at once, and it can slip in or out of a person as it pleases. As of right now, we know it has chosen five hosts at Mizzou. The only way to kill it is to identify all its hosts and draw the spirit out. Either that, or kill the host._

 _Percy wouldn't consider killing innocent mortals. How do we draw the spirit out?_

 _That's the tricky part. You need to expose it. Find out who it's inhabiting and yell its name. You'll need something that will remind it of death and suffering, like an opened wound or a dead animal._

 _Percy nodded. Okay. I'm on it._

 _Hurry, Percy. Poseidon warned. You don't have much time. Now that Tartarus has left the underworld, its captors have nowhere to stay. Some of the evil souls that were rotting in Tartarus have escaped into the mortal world, while others are invading Elysium and the Fields of Asphodel. If you wait, the universe will slowly be thrown out of balance._

 _What about Hades? Can't he-_

 _I have to go._

 _Wait!_

 _Do what I've told you, Percy. Don't delay._

 _He turned around. Percy thought about calling out to him, but he was already fading away. The tide picked up. It built in aggression until it had morphed into angry waves. The largest wave pulled Percy under. Percy let it carry him even as water filled his lungs and salt stung his eyes. He blacked out._

 _Percy._

 _Percy._

"Percy!"

Percy opened his eyes. The entire lecture hall had turned to him.

"Yeah!" Percy said, startled. "Yes."

Everyone snickered.

"I hope you had a nice rest." the professor said. "Do you have an answer for today's question?"

"Uh...right." Percy mumbled. "Can you repeat that?"

The professor sighed. "Fine. Once more for Mr. Jackson. Why did Juno harbor so much hatred towards Aeneis?"

"Uhh..." Percy thought about his answer. "Because of two reason. One is because he's a Trojan, and Paris who's also a Trojan picked Aphrodite-umm I mean Venus-over her in a beauty contest. Which shouldn't be that surprising, since Venus is the goddess of beauty and sex and everything. I mean, Juno should have known-"

"Stay on topic, Mr. Jackson."

"Right." Percy said. "The second reason is that Aeneas is about to found Rome, and she knows that the Romans will eventually destroy Carthage, and she loves Carthage."

Percy looked around the room. The rest of the students had stopped laughing. The professor nodded, looking impressed.

"Very good, Mr. Jackson."

Percy exhaled in relief. Of course he knew the answer to that question. Even in her Greek form, Hera was still salty about the whole Aeneis thing. Percy remembered a direct quote from Poseidon:

" _Whenever Hera's mad at Zeus, she starts bitching about Aeneis. The woman won't let the subject go."_

As the professor continued the lesson, Percy's mind drifted to what his father had told him. Five hosts of Tartarus?

Paranoia crept onto him. He'd always have to look over his shoulder. Tartarus could be anyone. How would he make any friends with the fear of a demonic presence looming over his shoulder?

He tried not to reach any conclusions without consulting Annabeth. She'd have a plan.

Wait.

Annabeth planned battles. She was good at coming up with killing strategies, and her cunning made their victories possible.

But this would be a different kind of victory.

How do you plan a battle when you don't know who your opponents are? How do you anticipate a fight when you don't know where it will take place?

"Can I borrow a pencil?" A girl beside him said.

Percy looked at her. "Sorry, I only have this pen..."

He trailed off when he saw her face. Her large green eyes teemed with curiosity, and her frizzy red curls fell into her eyes and down her back. She wore an oversized green bomber jacket and a sky blue t-shirt. Her slender hand drummed against her desk, nervous energy bleeding from her.

"Oh, Okay." she said.

 _Goodbye, Percy._

"Wait," Percy said.

"Hmm?" The girl said.

"Uh..nothing." Percy answered.

What was wrong with him? Why did this girl look so much like...

Rachel?

Rachel.

 _I don't have to see the future to tell you what to do now, do I?_

"That will be all for today," The professor said.

Everyone got up to leave, but Percy stayed frozen. He watched the girl stand up and sling her backpack over her shoulder, her long, lithe body swaying as she exited.

Percy pushed the thought from his mind as he remembered his mission.

Five hosts.

Five bodies.

Five deaths.

He had to tell Annabeth.


	4. Chapter 4

Trevor sat alone in the dining hall, eating a peanut butter and banana sandwich.

He always ate the same thing. Simplicity stopped his nervousness. He didn't like complicated dishes with hundreds of ingredients and chemicals that could creep into his cells and his blood and kill him at any moment.

So he took two pieces of white bread. Then he took two tablespoons of natural peanut butter. Then he took a banana, sliced in in half, then sliced it again until he had five round soft coins. He laid them on the peanut butter in a nice pattern.

Put the other piece of bread on top.

Slice into triangles.

Eat.

As he ate he looked around the cafeteria. His eyes landed on that blond guy. Trevor hated him.

He'd never spoken to him before, but he had that horrible aura around him. Certain people made Trevor's skin crawl, especially the ones that reminded him of all the monsters.

The blond guy didn't look like a monster, but his skin was achingly perfect and his blue eyes had an eery glow to them. When you got close to him (as Trevor had done standing in line once), he smelled rank, like rotting flesh. No one else seemed to notice but Trevor.

There were a lot of things no one else noticed.

The blond guy went to stand in line at the pizza station. Someone stood behind him.

Percy Jackson.

Trevor's room mate.

Trevor didn't know what to make of Percy Jackson. They didn't really talk much-Percy slipped in and out, coming back late at night and crashing with his clothes on. Still, during the few interactions they'd had Percy had been incredibly cool.

Even though he didn't know Percy, he couldn't help but admire his thick black hair and his easygoing smile. He looked like a greek god, with piercing sea-green eyes and chiseled features. Sometimes he wore close-fitting T-shirts and you could see his muscles peaking through the fabric.

Trevor tried not to stare, but sometimes it was too damn hard.

How do you not think about a guy who at the end of the day comes into your room and sleeps in a bed only five feet away? How can you not think about a guy whose breathing you can hear as you're falling asleep?

How?

The blond guy that Trevor hated turned around and introduced himself to Percy. Percy smiled and shook his hand.

Percy didn't smell it either.

Percy and the blond guy talked as they got their pizza. The talked as they sat down with some other guys.

No one else saw what Trevor saw.

Trevor finished his sandwich and went to class.


	5. Chapter 5

Annabeth checked over her Greek exam. She knew she'd done well-the answers had flown from her brain to the paper with little effort. Still, even as she read through the questions that guy from the gym wouldn't leave her head. Thoughts of his hair and his smile were annoyingly persistent, and when she tried to push them out they grew stronger.

 _I didn't love you_

 _I didn't love you_

 _I didn't love you_

Something buzzed in her pocket.

Though she couldn't withdrawn her phone, she knew it was Percy.

Annabeth sighed. She closed her answer book a half hour early and handed the test to the professor. The door to the lecture hall slammed shut as she exited, the sound large and final.

She read Percy's message:

 _Meet me under the bleachers near the soccer field._

Annabeth's footsteps echoed as she made her way down the long hallway. She almost tripped over her shoelaces as she descended the stairs. By the time she'd left the building she had started sprinting. Her body couldn't reach him quickly enough.

When she made it the bleachers she immediately spotted him, his dark hair clinging to his face. He looked like he'd been sweating; his face was flushed and he breathed heavily.

"Annabeth," he said. "I need to tell you-"

Annabeth slammed herself against him. She kissed him, trying to breath him in, wanting to taste every part of him. She tried to kiss the obsessions away from her mind.

Percy pulled away. "Annabeth,"

"Don't stop." she said.

Percy hesitated before pulling her closer, kissing her harder. His hands roved up her shirt and over her breasts, and Annabeth's body tingled from her mouth to her feet. Annabeth ran her hands through Percy's hair, gripping it tightly.

Eventually they stepped back to look at each other. Percy seemed to have gotten a bit taller, and any childhood softness had disappeared from his face. His jawline was more pronounced than it had ever been and his features reminded her of Poseidon himself.

They sat down and leaned against the back wall.

Percy looked out through the cracks of the stands. His lost expression unsettled Annabeth.

"What is it?" Annabeth asked.

"I dreamed about my Dad," Percy said. "He was trying to tell me something."

Percy recounted what Poseidon had told him. Tartarus escaping. Five hosts. Kill or extract the spirit.

"Are you _sure_ it wasn't just a dream?" Annabeth already knew the answer to that question.

"Yeah." Percy said. "I know it wasn't."

"But you don't think we would have noticed?" Annabeth said. "We escaped a long time ago. Someone should have been able to sense Tartarus's presence. What about Nico?"

"I don't know." Percy said. "Tartarus is a God. Maybe he's just good at hiding himself."

"Hmm." Annabeth nodded.

Percy started staring into space again. He looked older when he thought about things.

Annabeth wanted to tell him about the guy in the gym, but she didn't think he'd understand. Still, something about the thoughts were unnatural. Even though Annabeth tried to maintain a hard exterior, she had crushed on people often before meeting Percy. Yet none of those crushes had felt like this. None of them had triggered haunting memories. None of them had dominated her mind so swiftly and completely. Her other crushes had felt light, like feathers and cotton balls. This one weighed her down.

These thoughts weren't a crush.

They were something other. Some sort of disease.

"Maybe you should Iris Message Nico." Annabeth suggested.

"Maybe." Percy said. "But if he couldn't sense Tartarus before, how could he do it now?"

"Well, he could offer advice." Annabeth said. "He might know something about how to catch him that Poseidon didn't include. And, if we can't find him, maybe he could come down and try to find him. Being aware that the problem exists might make him more vigilant."

"Yeah." Percy agreed. "That's a great idea."

He stood up and offered his hand. Annabeth took it and pulled herself up.

"You always know what to do." Percy pecked Annabeth on the lips. "You're the best."

Annabeth tried not to let her shame show.

 _I'm not_ , she thought.


End file.
